Machine for making wheels



(No Model.) 1 J. M. RIDLE'Y.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING- WHEELS.

Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

m in m|| llrllu Rsv Plmlfl-Limographur. Washington. D. c

Y UNITE STATES JAMES M. RIDLEY, OF FISKBURG,'ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO T. W. 80

R. 'A. POWERS AND W- J. STEPHENS, OF IN DEPENDEN CE, AND ALEXAN- DER OER, OF PORTLAND, KENTUCKY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WHEELS.

I SPECIFICATION rormifi pint of Letters Patent No. 357,630, dated February 15, 1887.

Application filed August 11,1886. Serial 'No. 210.631. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, JAMES M. RIDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fiskburg, in the countyof Kenton and State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making ,Wheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Thisinvention relates to machines for setting spokes and supporting and, gaging them while driving.

The improvement consists in the novel features more fully hereinafl'er'gset forth; claimed, and shown inthe drawings, in which Figure 1 is' a side elevation, parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view, parts broken away, showing the hub and spoke removed.

- Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4 is a section on 2 the line as w of Fig. 2; and Figs. 5 are plan 1 Views of the adj usting-blocks.

The device comprises a bench, A, of Wellknown construction, having the hub-olampin g devices at one end and the spoke holding and gaging devices at the other.

The hub B is held to the bench from vertical displacement by the rod B, attached to the floor at its lower end by book and eye and threaded at its upper end, which passes through the bore ofthe hub and is providedwith the hand-nut b." It is held againstlateraldisplace- 'ment by the keepers or plates 0, arranged as shown, and a block or bed, d, held in place by the head-block or short bar d, bolted to the 4e bench.. The block d is removable, and is designed to be replaced by others of varying sizes,-according to the diameter of the hub. Around the rod B a series of concentric circles, b, are formed for centering the hub. The

-5 ends of the plates or keepers and block (2 facing the rod are curved so as to fit the hub. The keeper-plates are slotted and bolts passed through said slots into or through the bench, to hold them in an adjusted position.

The short bar (1 is provided with a dovetail recess or socket in its forward side, into which one of the blocks d is fitted by a corresponding dovetail. It is located on the side of the hub farthest removed from the spoke-holding devices, and is designed to take the blows of the hammer.

The spoke holding and gaging devices are supported by the carriage E, held between the guides e at the front end of the bench, so that the carriage may be moved to and from the hub lengthwise of the bench. The uprights F, secured to the carriage, are united at their upper ends by a yoke or crossbar, G, through the center of which a set-screw, 9, passes for adj usti ng the cross-head H vertically between the uprights. Vertical ribs f on the inner sides of the uprights fit into corresponding notches in the ends of the cross-head and form ways to guide said cross head in its movements.

The yoke is reduced on each side of the set- 0 screw and forms bearings for bifurcations i of the supporting-lever I. The bifurcations or arms 1; are expanded near their outer ends,and are provided with notches on their under side, which fit over the reduced portion of the yoke, 7 thereby holding the lever in a fixed relative position. A rod, J, passes vertically through the rear end of the lever, and is threaded so as to be adjusted relative thereto. A hook, 9', depends from the lower end of the rod and is designed to support the tenon end of the spoke. Kerfs'are formed in the ends of the bifurcations of the lever, and a stirrup, K, is adj ustably secured therein. The legs have a series of corresponding openings, it, through a pair of which and transverse openings in the ends of the lever a bolt or rod, L, passes to adjustably support the stirrup.

The lever is preferably elastic, so it can be readily adjusted and detached from the spoke by simply depressing the rear end. It is sufficiently rigid, however, to support the spoke.

In practice the hub is clamped to the bench by the rod 13 and hand-nut, and the block and slotted plates are adjusted to fit the end of the hub. The carriage is adjusted the proper distance from the hub, according to the length of spokes, by a pin, M, inserted in one of a series of openings, m, in the bench, which forms a stop and limits the inward movement of said carriage. The crosshead is adjusted the propen distance from the bench by the setscrew g, according to the size of hub and dish of the wheel. This adjustment is facilitated by providing the cross-head with a mark or line, It, which is designed to indicate the proper point on the scales e on the front edges of the uprights. The hook and yoke are likewise properly adjusted. Everything being in readiness, the tenon of the spoke N is inserted in a socket of the hub, the carriage is moved in againstthe stop, the stirrup slipped over the front end of the spoke, the lever placed in position, the yoke and the rear end depressed, and the hook passed beneath the rear end of the spoke. The spoke is now set and ready for driving. The front end is held from spring ing about by being seated in a notch in the cross-head and resting in the bight of the stirrup. When the spoke is driven entirely home that is, up to the shoulder-the driving ceases, the lever is removed, and the carriage is moved out to permit the hub turning, when the above operation is repeated for the driving of each successive spoke.

It will be understood that when the machine is once set it remains fixed for all wheels of that gage and grade, and is only changed or altered when it is desired to make different-sized wheels.

Having thus described my in vention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination,with the bench and the clamping-rod, ot' the fixed head-block, the ac movable block fitted against the fixed headblock and held from lateral displacement, and the adjustable clamping-plates arranged opposite to and on each side of the fixed headblock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a spoke-setting machincdhc combination of the bench, the hub-clamping devices located at one end of the bench, the spokesupporting carriage located at the opposite end of the bench and movable to and from the hub'clampiug devices to receive and carry the spoke to the hub,substantially as described, and the spoke holding and gaging devices mounted upon said carriage,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. p

3. In a spoke-setting machine,the combination of the uprights, the yoke uniting said up rights, the adjustable cross-head working being a mark to indicate the proper adjustment upon the graduated uprights, the spoke-supporting lever supported by the uprights, and the stirrup adjustably connected with the outer end of said spoke-supportinglever and acting in opposition to said cross-head for supporting I the outer end of the spoke-lever, substantially as set forth.

5. In a spoke-setting machine,thecombination of the uprights, the yoke uniting their upper ends ir j :..=table cross-head working between the uprights, the spring spoke-supporting lever mounted upon the uprights,and the stirrup connected with said lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a spoke-setting machine,the combination of the uprights having ribs on their inner sides, the cro s-head having notched ends fitted over and receiving the ribs, the yoke uniting the upper ends of the uprights, the setscrew, the spoke-supporting lever,the stirrup adjustably connected with the front end of the said lever and acting in opposition to the cross-head for supporting the outer end of the spoke, and the hook supporting the rear end of the spoke, adjustabl y connected with the rearend of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a spoke-setting machine,the combination of the uprights, the yoke uniting their upper cnds,the adjustable cross-head working between the uprights, the spring spoke-supporting levcr,1hestirrup adjustably connected with the fro n said lever and actingin opposition to the cross-head for supporting the outer end of the spoke, and the hook supporting the rear end of the spoke, adjustably connected with the rear end of said lever,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JAMES M. RIDLEY.

Witnesses:

G. W. GARLIsLE, '1. T. METOALF. 

